


His Own Caliber

by animenutcase



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-09 23:19:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7821172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animenutcase/pseuds/animenutcase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She'd always sworn that she wouldn't marry anyone who wasn't on the same level as her tall, handsome, noble brother. Naturally, she fell in love with a short, baby-faced thief.</p><p>He'd only stuck with the group in the hopes of being able to find some nice riches to steal. He wound up with the heart of a princess from a country that collapsed into a civil war... and she wound up with his.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Boy And Girl

"You're... Dew, aren't you?" Dew turned around to see the Nordion princess they'd rescued staring at him suspiciously. "The thief."  
"Former thief." He insisted. "I've completely reinvented myself."

Lachesis wasn't convinced. Her expression said that loud and clear. She warned Dew not to touch anything in Castle Nordion and walked away huffily.  
\--------------------------------------  
"Is there... any particular reason you're hanging out down here?" Lachesis asked slowly. "I would have thought that you'd have been following Sigurd to rob Heirhein and Anphony."

Dew gave her an exaggerated look of disbelief.

"Are you doubting my sincerity?" Dew gasped. "I can't believe you would insinuate that my decision to make a new start on my life is anything other than genuine!"  
"Dew, I could see everything from the tower when the army came to rescue Nordion." Lachesis groaned. "I literally watched you steal the Thief Sword you gave me from Elliot. You're not fooling anyone."  
"Well it was worth a shot!" Dew dropped the faux-outrage and smiled cheerfully. "The truth is, Sigurd saw me give the sword to you and asked me to help keep an eye on Nordion in case Mackily tries something while they're dealing with the bandits."  
"I see."  
"But speaking of the Thief Sword, how's it working for you?" Dew grinned at her. "Notice anything special about it?"  
"I've figured out its special effect, yes." Lachesis smiled in spite of herself. "I don't know if it'll help me get strong enough to save my brother, however. It's not very good at... killing."  
"That is not the intended use, my good lady." Dew wagged his finger. "A good thief doesn't kill the people he robs."

Dew paused at his own words. He looked away from Lachesis mumbling that a good thief isn't supposed to kill people. His gaze wandered toward the hills that led to Anphony, and Lachesis understood his unease. Gently, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Did you kill anyone before you met up with Sigurd's army, Dew?" She asked quietly.

Dew turned to look at her in alarm, quickly stating that he hadn't. The first person he'd killed had been standing over one of the guys with Sigurd, about to finish him off when Dew sneaked up behind him to stab him. His intention had been to distract him, but he hadn't noticed that the guy already been weakened and covered in burns. It may not have been _self_ -defense, but he'd certainly been defending the guy lying helpless on the ground, and Adean had been really happy that they were able to save him.

"And you've been with Sigurd's army ever since, right?" Lachesis nodded. "So any of the people you killed were either working for the man who manipulated King Batou, or Heirhein. I wouldn't call that wrong, since you were just defending your king or... well, me."

Lachesis straightened her posture and looked at Dew with an almost haughty expression.

"Really, defending a lady is one of the most noble things a man can do." She declared.

Dew stared at her for a few seconds before giving her a mischievous smile.

"What lady?" He asked. "I don't see any ladies here."  
"Hey!"  
"I'm just teasing." Dew playfully stuck his tongue out. "You said you wanted to try getting strong enough to save your brother, right? There's an arena near the castle."  
\--------------------------------------  
"Wow." Dew whistled as he watched Lachesis cut through another opponent.

It was pretty impressive considering how weak she'd been when they first met. Now, Dew was almost sure she was nearly the strongest in the army, second only to Sigurd himself. It almost made Dew feel a little inadequate, given that he was still rather weak himself. Seeing the sheer determination she had to get stronger in order to protect her brother made him want to try harder, too.

"By the way, how is your brother doing?" He asked as she departed the arena with the reward money. "He sent you a letter recently, didn't he?"

Normally, getting Lachesis on the subject of her brother put her in a pleasant mood, but her face seemed to fall at the mention of him today, and Dew had a suspicion he knew why. Eldigan had rescued King Chagall after Sigurd's army marched onto Agusty. Almost immediately after, Grannvale sent administrators ordering Sigurd to remain in Agustria despite his wishes to return home. That alone would have raised tensions between the army and the Agustrian people, but the fact that the officials Grannvale dispatched to Agustria were abusing their power was only making things worse.

"Lord Brother is... frustrated." Lachesis finally found the words and shook Dew from his thoughts. "He and Sigurd have been close friends for a long time, and he knows that Sigurd would never deliberately try to harm Agustria or her people. Lord Brother has spent the past several months trying to keep things smoothed over with Chagall so he won't make the situation worse, but the tensions just get higher by the day and even he's beginning to lose patience with Grannvale.

"Sigurd has been able to spare Agusty of Grannvale's abuses, and the people of Anphony are grateful to him for deposing Macbeth, but the rest of Agustria isn't as happy with him." She continued. "If push comes to shove, it's likely to erupt in a civil war. My brother finally told me in his most recent letter that it's gotten so bad that he's having his wife and son sent to Leonster where her family lives."  
"And he didn't send you with them?" Dew raised a curious eyebrow.  
"He wanted to, but I refused." Lachesis shook her head. "If Agustria falls, my brother will doubtlessly go down with it, regardless of how he feels about the situation. And I... want to be with him when and if it does."

Sensing the subtext behind her words, Dew placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I don't know your brother very well, but I think I know enough about him that I know what he'd say if he heard you talking like that." He said firmly. "And it wouldn't be anything good. He wouldn't be happy if you threw your life away like that."

Dew gulped, swallowing the words " _And it wouldn't make me happy, either_ ", in his throat.

Lachesis frowned, but said nothing for a few minutes. Finally, Dew pointed out that there was no guarantee a war was going to break out. Sigurd had been negotiating with Grannvale to let them return home, or at least to Evans. With any luck, they'd be able to leave and ease some of the tension between Agustria and Grannvale. Lachesis seemed to cheer up slightly at this suggestion, but it was at that moment that Jamke came up to them and told them to get ready for battle - Chagall had forces mobilizing in Madino.  
\--------------------------------------  
Lachesis wasn't sure why the sun was shining so brightly. Why Sigurd and the others were discussing their next move. Why Dew kept staring at her with a worried look on his face.

She wasn't sure why any of them were alive when her brother was dead.

They had confronted Chagall at Silvail and finished what they should have done six months ago, but that just left her feeling empty. Her brother was dead, her country was collapsing around her, and the only thing she could think of to do was deliver the Mystletainn to Ares, who was all the way over in Leonster. And what would she do after that? Where would she go? She doubted Grahnye would be happy to see her.

She felt Dew squeeze her tightly, and for a split second, it all felt okay.

"It might not mean much to you, Lachesis, but..." He trailed off for a moment. "But I'm here for you."

Lachesis could feel his heartbeat quickening as he hugged her. She had suspicions as to why, and decided to wait for his next move to see.

"You're really great, you know that?" Dew grinned at her as he brought his face closer to his. "You went right up to your brother and confronted him! You even got him to back off!"

He gave a hollow laugh.

"I gotta tell ya, my heart kept pounding when you did! I was pretty terrified that one of his Cross Knights would try to-I mean, I was thinking that there was no way I'd be able to do something like that!"

Lachesis knew that Dew wasn't lying when he said he didn't think he'd be able to do what she had, but the way he kept bringing his face closer and closer until his lips faintly touched hers told her all she needed to know. He quickly pulled away and stammered an apology, but Lachesis was already reaching for his collar to pull him back, and their lips soon crashed together once more.

Dew seemed surprised, but not displeased, and quickly began to kiss her back. It started off innocently, but it soon began to grow more sensual. When they finally broke away, Lachesis quietly asked,

"Hey... Sleep with me?"

Dew blinked at her.

"...What?"  
"You like me, right?" She giggled, no longer caring how undignified she sounded. "So sleep with me!"  
"You're kind of weirding me out her, Lachesis." He laughed weakly. "This is kind of out of nowhere."  
"I just..." Lachesis frowned. "I want to forget for a little while. I want to forget that he's not here anymore and-"  
"How is us sleeping together going to make you forget?"

Dew frowned.

"I'm not going to be your brother's replacement, Lachesis."

Lachesis fell silent, unsure of what she wanted to say to him. Dew's face tightened, and he stormed out without another word. Lachesis resisted the urge to chase him and resolved to try to sleep, ignoring the storm of feelings raging inside of her.  
\--------------------------------------  
Dew walked briskly, not really caring where he was going when he felt himself crash into someone.

"Woah there!" Jamke scolded. "You need to be more careful, Dew."  
"Sorry."

Jamke frowned at him, but his expression quickly melted into one of concern. He asked if Dew was alright.

"What's it to you?"  
"Because you look like you're about to cry."

The acknowledgement was nice, but it unfortunately broke the dam holding the tears back. Jamke quietly took Dew back to their tent and sat him down, suggesting that Dew's attempt to comfort Lachesis went badly.

"I don't get it." Dew groaned. "This whole time I've known her, she kept talking about how no guy was as great as her brother, and she'd never get married because no one else is good enough. Then I kiss her by accident, and she suddenly wants me to take her right then and there! Because she wants me to help her "forget" that her brother is dead!"

Jamke listened quietly for a moment before offering the suggestion that Lachesis was confused about her own feelings. Dew scoffed and said that that sounded like an understatement, but Jamke told him that he was misunderstanding.

"Think about it from her perspective: She's had... very strong feelings for someone she can't ever be with for some time now." Jamke explained, choosing his words carefully. "Then she starts falling in love with someone else, but her first love dies before she can confirm it. To be honest, I'd be a wreck, too."  
"Someone else? Who?"  
"You, dummy." Jamke sighed. "Sylvia says she talks about you a lot."  
"During your pillow talk?" Dew allowed himself to grin, but Jamke's scowl quickly made him switch back to the original topic. "What does she say exactly?"  
"I'm not a messenger bird." Jamke shook his head firmly. "Ask Sylvia. Better yet, ask Lachesis yourself in the morning."

His advice was sound, but Dew didn't think he could strike up the nerve to talk to her so soon after what just happened. He needed a bit more time to clear his head. And he had just the right idea of how to do it. Once he was sure Jamke was asleep, he slipped out of the tent and made his way toward the bridge separating Madino and Orgahill. He bumped into Finn, who asked where he was going, and he answered honestly, saying he'd be back in a few days. Just as Finn was about to protest, Lewyn and Holyn both spoke up, offering to go with him. Ferry, Lewyn explained, had already gone to survey Blaggi Tower, and reported that there were indeed pirates in the area. She'd returned to help Father Claud and Tailto of Freege, but they'd need all the help they could get. As much as Dew preferred to work alone, if it got Finn off his back, he'd agree to go with them. He could just ditch them when he found a chance.

Once they'd gone a certain distance, they found a safe, secluded spot to set up for the night. He hadn't had time to grab something to use as a tent, so he simply stared up at the stars as he touched his lips, remembering when Lachesis kissed him. He felt a bit guilty: She was hurting from the loss of her brother, and Dew knew that, but he'd felt overjoyed in that moment. It was like there was nothing else in the world but them.

But of course, that wasn't true. Both Dew's and Lachesis's homelands were in turmoil, the army was still facing a threat from Orgahill, and Dew was still in love with a girl in love with someone else.  
\--------------------------------------  
Lachesis's horse couldn't move fast enough.

When she'd awoken the next morning, she'd asked Jamke where Dew was. Jamke seemed confused and said that he'd thought Dew was with her. Finn walked up to them and explained that Dew had gone with Lewyn and Holyn to Blaggi Tower in the event that the tower was attacked. Jamke seemed pacified, but Lachesis was filled with dread. Didn't they know Dew would sneak away from the other two the moment he could!?

She'd quickly grabbed her horse and set off for Blaggi Tower. She rode around the pirates she encountered, stabbing those she couldn't, remaining focused until she saw a familiar patch of green hair.

"Lewyn!" She shouted. "Where's Dew!?"  
"Ran off before we woke up." Lewyn scowled. "He left a note thanking us for getting Finn off his back, but that's it."  
"That idiot!" She swore to herself before taking off toward the tower, ignoring Lewyn and Holyn's shouts, and nearly running over a woman with the distinctive lilac hair of House Freege and a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Adean. Noticing a shadow, she looked up to see Ferry on her pegasus with Father Claud riding behind her, but she shrugged and continued on her path, praying she wasn't too late.

Her mind ran through a number of ways this could go. She could find him and he wouldn't be upset about the night before. She could find him and he would hate her now. She could find him in trouble. She could find him wounded. She could find him-

Lachesis shook that thought from her mind. She was going to find him. She was going to protect him. She hadn't been able to protect her brother, but she could still save Dew. She wouldn't lose him, too.  
\--------------------------------------  
Blaggi Tower looked far bigger up close than from a distance. Dew was impressed. With any luck, it was going to be full of treasures to steal.

He looked around to make sure there weren't any more pirates in the area, and unfortunately, there was one trying to sneak up behind him. Once the pirate realized he'd been spotted, he lunged at him. Dew quickly pulled out his sword and prepared to attack...

Only for the pirate to be caught off guard by someone behind him. When the man fell dead, Dew realized that his savior was someone he hadn't wanted to see for awhile and scowled despite his gratitude.

"What do you want, Lachesis?" He demanded, mentally wincing at how he must have looked, but Lachesis's answer surprised him.  
"You."

She dismounted her horse and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. Despite his anger, Dew felt himself freeze up.

"I woke up and you weren't at the camp any more." She explained. "Finn said you'd run off to the tower, and I panicked."

She seemed to be shaking slightly, and Dew reluctantly wrapped his arms around her, too. This was getting a little intimate, but Dew was afraid to let himself hope as Lachesis continued, saying that she knew he'd ditch Holyn and Lewyn, and that he could get so focused on treasure hunting that he sometimes ignored what was going on around him.

"If you'd gotten killed, I wouldn't-" She hesitated. "I'm not sure I'd have been able to handle it."  
"I've been in worse scrapes." Dew chuckled, pretending that he wasn't flustered. "And even if I got killed, you'd be fine. Plenty of other fish in the sea and all that."  
"I don't want any other fish. I want you."

The confession threw Dew for a loop. He stared up at the sky, trying to figure out how to respond. Finally, he suggested that they explore the tower together, and Lachesis was quiet for a moment before agreeing. Despite its size, Blaggi Tower was not as filled with treasure as Dew had hoped. Not only that, but there _were_ inhabitants who would doubtlessly be displeased if they'd known why they were there, so they were only there for a few hours before leaving. Still, Dew had managed to pick up a nice Wind Sword. Lachesis hadn't been sure what to make of it, but she smiled slightly when Dew mentioned that it would make it easier for him to attack from a distance.

"It's getting dark." Dew frowned when they got outside. "We'll have to set up camp and head back in the morning."  
"I only had room on my horse for one tent, so we'll have to share." Lachesis said matter-of-factly.  
"That's... okay by me." Dew nodded as they set the tent up. It was a decent size, with enough room that they didn't have to touch each other, but Lachesis gazed at him for a moment before asking,

"Is it okay if I... sleep next to you?" Her face was flushed and her eyes were so sincere and full of something that Dew was scared to name that he gulped.  
"I..." He gulped again. His face was turning redder than hers, but he felt the edges of his mouth curl up. "I think I'd like that."

Dew slowly wrapped his arms around Lachesis's shoulders. She gently began to lean over so that their lips could meet for the third time.  
\--------------------------------------  
A storm forced them to take shelter, delaying their return for a day, but they didn't care very much. Even when their comrades scolded them, they didn't have regrets.

Captain Mahnya of Silesse's Pegasus Knights arrived almost immediately after Grannvale's forces arrived to arrest Sigurd. She explained that Queen Rahna was willing to offer asylum to them, an offer that Sigurd accepted. They boarded the passage and made their way to Silesse, where they were personally welcomed by the queen, who they soon discovered was Lewyn's mother. The army was welcomed into Sailane's castle, and it was there they waited for things to blow over.

Three months after they arrived, Lachesis asked Dew to come to her room so she could tell him something. He arrived, kissed her and sat on the bed at her request.

"I'm just going to get right to the point." She said slowly as she placed her hands on her lower abdomen. "I... might be..."


	2. Husband And Wife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They really were too young for this, but they had to try.

"You're probably at about 12 weeks, then." Adean explained with a warm smile. "Congratulations to the both of you."

12 weeks. Then it had already happened before Captain Mahnya had shown up. Of course, there really wasn't any other time it could have happened. They'd been utilizing more... indirect methods to be intimate since they'd arrived in Silesse. Their relationship wasn't entirely public yet; Lachesis had told Ayra, and Dew had told Jamke, and they both agreed to keep it a secret. Dew suspected that Ethlyn knew, and he knew that Sigurd was suspicious. Azel had walked in on them, but they weren't sure if he'd seen them. Judging by Adean's lack of surprise, however, it was clear that he'd told his wife.

Adean excused herself, saying it was nearly time for her to feed Lester. For a moment after she left, Dew and Lachesis sat in silence. When it was finally broken, it was by both of them.

"You're gonna be a mom!"  
"You're going to be a dad!"

They both turned red at their mutual outburst before laughing awkwardly.

"But it looks like you're really pregnant, huh?" Dew rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Who would have thought?"  
"I certainly wouldn't." Lachesis sighed. "I swore that I'd never marry if I couldn't find anyone of the same caliber as my brother."  
"And I've spent most of my life just trying to get enough money for my next meal. Even hanging around Sigurd's army was mostly 'cause I thought I'd find something good to steal, much as I like everybody."  
"And yet here we are, expecting a child together."

Dew saw her narrow her eyes slightly.

"I certainly hope you plan to take responsibility for this." She declared in that haughty, princess-like tone that Dew recognized from the day she assured him he wasn't a killer. "After all, you _did_ say you were turning over a new leaf to become a more respectable man, did you not? I imagine leaving a lady to raise your child alone would be quite dishonorable!"

Dew laughed, knowing she was joking.

"I did say that, didn't I?" Dew blushed as he touched her hand. "I'm not gonna lie: I'm terrified. I barely know a thing about babies, and I don't really know if I'll be a good father. I'm not even sure if I'd be a good husband. But I... I really want to make this work."  
"And for now, that's enough." Lachesis took his hand and squeezed.  
\--------------------------------------  
Sigurd and Cuan both punched Dew in the face on Eldigan's behalf, then cheerfully offered their congratulations. The rest of the army reacted similarly (but thankfully not identically), and they decided to use the nearby chapel for the wedding.

"I guess it makes sense to get married as soon as possible." Ayra mused as she helped Lachesis get ready. "If you wait too much longer, you won't fit in the dress."  
"Look who's talking!" Lachesis huffed. "You're starting to look a little big yourself. Are you _sure_ there's nothing you want to tell Lex?"  
"Very funny." Ayra scoffed. "I'm sure I've just... indulged myself in the pastries from the nearby bakery a bit too much is all."  
"I think she's trying to pretend you aren't here." Lachesis leaned down to whisper to Ayra's stomach. "She's even trying to act like she just likes sweets too much."

Ayra rolled her eyes and told Lachesis that she was heading to the chapel to meet Lex. As Lachesis waited for Sigurd to arrive to escort her, she mused to herself that she'd been joking about Ayra looking bigger, but Ayra's almost defensive reaction made her wonder if she'd touched a nerve. Ayra _had_ certainly been eating more sweets lately, but she hadn't cared all that much for them before. She and Lex had gotten married a month earlier, but Lachesis knew that they'd been having sex beforehand. It could be that it was a similar situation to Jamke and Sylvia, who had gotten married right after they arrived, but only recently learned that Sylvia was pregnant. And here Lachesis thought Dew had been joking about their relationship.

Ferry and Father Claud had gotten close at Orgahill, and they were all over each other after Claud had tried to contact King Azmur of Grannvale to explain what he'd seen at Blaggi Tower. She knew that they were at least trying to get pregnant. Ethlyn was also starting to show a baby bump. Adean had given birth to her son a short time ago. Tailto and Lewyn had just gotten married the week before, and it was just a matter of time before Holyn took the plunge to propose to Briggid.

It seemed almost ridiculous that they were having kids when they were living in exile, but Lachesis supposed that there really wasn't much else they could do but wait.

"It'd be nice if this all blew over before you got here, but..." Lachesis mumbled to her belly.

A knock at the door interrupted Lachesis's train of thought, and she quickly stood up to greet Sigurd and head off to meet her groom.  
\--------------------------------------  
"Have you thought about what you and Lachesis are going to do after you leave Silesse?" Jamke asked out of nowhere as they reentered Sailane after seeing Cuan, Ethlyn and Finn off.  
"Eh?" Dew gave him a puzzled look.  
"I trust Sigurd completely, and the last thing I want to do is abandon him when he still needs his friends, but I can't stay with his army forever."

Dew didn't say anything, but nodded in understanding. Jamke was the last remaining member of Verdane's royal family. At some point he needed to return and properly take the throne. Most of Sigurd's army planned to return to their duchies, with a few exceptions.

"From the sounds of it, Lex has a pretty bad relationship with his family." Dew noted. "He doesn't think he'll be able to return home after all that's happened."  
"He can go to Isaach with Ayra." Jamke nodded. "And as the future Queen-Consort, Tailto is staying here. Is that your plan, too?"

Dew hesitated. It wasn't that the subject of leaving Silesse hadn't come up between him and Lachesis. He knew that she wanted to head to Leonster at one point to give her nephew the Mystletainn. When Dew suggested that they could settle there, Lachesis shot the idea down flat: She and her sister-in-law had never gotten along, and now that her brother was dead Grahnye didn't have much obligation to treat her as family. Agustria was still embroiled in war, so the chances of them returning to Nordion were slim to none. Eventually, they decided to table the subject for another time. After all, Lachesis still had a few months before she gave birth, and it wouldn't do for a heavily pregnant woman to travel into potentially hostile lands.

The elephant in the room began pointing out that it wasn't good for a newborn baby to be traveling to potentially hostile lands, either, but they both ignored it.

"It's a little hard to say." Dew finally answered. "It'd be one thing if it was just us, but we're going to have a baby here pretty soon. We have to think about where it's safe to take it, and even if it's safe now, there's no guarantee it'll stay that way. And if she gets pregnant again, then we'll _really_ be in trouble."  
"Sounds to me like you're already thinking like an adult." Jamke sounded surprisingly impressed. "It's a far cry from the little thief I only set free because his fellow prisoner begged me to. You're really growing up."  
"That's another thing." Dew sighed. "Have you seen how much Lachesis has been eating lately? I'm already going to have to steal a _lot_ in order to just feed the three of us. If she gets pregnant again, I'll have to rob a whole marketplace just to feed her!"  
"I take back what I just said."  
\--------------------------------------  
Lachesis winced when Dew poked her belly. Dew asked if he'd accidentally hurt her somehow, but Lachesis said that it was merely the baby kicking a bit too hard. It had been doing that all day. Dew sighed dramatically (though Lachesis could tell he was relieved) and told the baby not to greet him so roughly.

"Is that what you were doing?" Lachesis let herself smile at him. "Greeting the baby?"  
"Of course!" Dew laughed. "It would be rude not to, right?"  
"My my, it seems my husband _has_ picked up some manners after all." Lachesis sighed as she lay back on the bed, pausing before saying. "I think it might be for the best if we went to Leonster after all."  
"With your sister-in-law?"  
"No." Lachesis shook her head. "Even if she agrees to take us in, we'll just end up arguing. That's no environment for a baby to grow up in. But it doesn't look like Agustria's going to be stable any time soon, and there's no guarantee we'll be able to make it back to Silesse after we deliver the Mystletainn."

Dew nodded. It sounded like Grannvale's war with Isaach was still raging on, so Isaach wasn't an option either.

"After my brother died, Sigurd and Cuan both told me I would always be welcome in their homes, but I don't feel comfortable taking advantage of their kindness." Lachesis continued. "I would rather walk on my own two feet and work to support myself."  
"Okay, who are you, and what have you done with my wife?" Dew raised a curious eyebrow. "The great Princess Lachesis of Nordion... working?! You're clearly an imposter of some sort!"  
"You laugh, but I haven't sacrificed my pride as a Princess of Nordion." Lachesis scoffed, wincing again as she did. "I will do whatever I need to in order to survive. If I must work to earn money in another country, I'll do it. And it's not like I've given up on returning to Nordion. I know I'll go back someday, but for now, I need to take of myself and my family."  
"You're so cool, Lachesis." Dew laughed again. "And here I thought I was the husband!"  
"You will need to shape up as well, of course." Lachesis smirked. "Didn't you also hope to return to Verdane someday?"

That had been another destination they'd discussed, but given Verdane's current state, they both agreed that it would be best to wait until their child was older. Even if Jamke managed to stabilize it, the journey from Leonster to Verdane (after going from Silesse to Leonster, mind) was a bit much for a small child.

Eventually, Dew and Lachesis decided to lay down and take a nap together, as they often did when they found time together in the afternoon. No one in Sigurd's army liked waiting around doing nothing, so everyone agreed to help keep the castle clean, if only as a courtesy to the people of Sailane. The chores switched around every week, though Lachesis hadn't been able to do much as her due date approached, so Dew opted to step up and take care of what she couldn't. She appreciated it, but it didn't leave them with much time for each other, so she was happy for these afternoons together. Unfortunately, the baby was being very uncooperative today. At first, there was a lot of time between each instance she felt pain, but those instances were becoming more and more frequent. She must have groaned, because she heard Dew say,

"The baby still kicking?" He grinned at her, poking her belly a second time. "You should tell it to knock it off so that Mommy can sleep."  
"Unfortunately, the baby is the one who decides when it stops moving." Lachesis groaned again. "And I think it's decided that it wants to move outside."  
"Eh?"  
"Get Adean. I think my water's breaking."

As if on cue, Lachesis felt something wet below her waist. She let out a painful moan, and Dew jumped off the bed swearing.

"Please hurry!" She shouted as he left, promising to return with Adean.  
\--------------------------------------  
Dew had known from Deirdre, Adean, and Sylvia that childbirth could take several hours, but when you were the expectant father, it felt a lot longer. He'd dragged Adean to their room, and she'd quickly gone to work, sending Dew to go get towels and warm water despite Lachesis's protests. Once Dew returned with the items, she refused to let Dew leave again, squeezing his hand as tightly as he could.

It was nearly midnight by the time the baby was out. Adean let out a sigh of relief as she informed Dew and Lachesis that they were now parents to a healthy baby boy. Dew helped Adean give the baby a bath and soon he was in his arms, wrapped in a blanket. It felt... weird. He'd held Lester for Adean before (and Jamke occasionally let Dew hold Leen), but this felt completely different. This wasn't just a friend's baby, this was _his_ son. He was officially a father now.

The revelation hit him with a wave of several conflicting emotions, though fear and joy were tied for first place, with "awe at the miracle of life" coming in at a close second.

Adean suggested that Lachesis get some rest, but she stubbornly insisted that Dew get over there and let her see their son. Dew slowly walked over, as though the baby might break if made the slightest wrong movement. Plus, he was tearing up, making it harder for him to see. He wiped his tears away after handing Lachesis their son, but more just took their place.

"Sounds like Papa's a bit of a crybaby, huh Delmud?" Lachesis gently teased.  
"Mama's crying, too!" Dew laughed as he finally let the tears fall.  
"Delmud? Is that his name?" Adean asked curiously.  
"Yeah." Dew nodded. "We decided to pick something with a "D" if it was a boy. If it had been a girl, we'd have picked something with an "L" instead."

Adean nodded in understanding, then left the room to both inform the others how it had gone, and to give the family (whose member count had officially gone up to three) some rest. She said she'd have a small cot for the baby sent up shortly.

"He keeps looking at me." Dew said excitedly. "Or at least I think he's looking."  
"I heard that babies often recognize their parents' voices from when they were in the womb." Lachesis mused. "I guess it's true."  
"So you think he knows who I am!?"  
"I don't think he knows much of anything right now." Lachesis laughed. "He just got out."  
"Sorry, it's just... I'm excited." Dew blushed in embarrassment. "I don't really remember my own parents. I don't know if they died or just abandoned me. Now that I'm a dad myself, I want to..."  
"You want your own child to be able to pick you out of a crowd." Lachesis stopped laughing and smiled warmly. "Looks like I married a good man after all."

The couple fell silent for a moment, listening to the sounds of their son's breathing.

"I don't regret it, you know." Lachesis said quietly. "What we did at Orgahill. I'm happy you were my first, and that I was your first."  
"Y-Yeah." Dew blushed again, remembering the night they spent together. "Me too. Like, I'd never been in love before, but after I met you, it just sorta made sense. Sure, I'd thought other girls were good looking, and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't had dirty thoughts about them before, but...

"But with you, I get all... giddy whenever we do that sort of stuff." He continued. "When we got married and started sharing a room, it took me hours to get to sleep for the first month because I liked listening to your breathing."  
"That explains why you kept falling asleep in your breakfast." Lachesis chuckled, but gestured for him to continue.  
"And every I time I looked at that belly of yours, I would think "That's my baby in there"." He fidgeted. ""I'm gonna be a dad and Lachesis is gonna be the mom". 'Cause it wouldn't have been enough if it was anyone else. What made me happy was knowing that I was having a baby with _you_."

He stared at her for a few seconds before looking away, apologizing for how mushy he sounded.

"Dummy." Lachesis sighed as she shook her head. "I feel the same. When I first realized that I was probably pregnant, I was only scared for a few seconds. I calmed down because I realized that _you_ were the father. Then... I got happy. Happier than I'd ever been in my life. I think that was when I realized that I really had moved on."

She gave a small laugh.

"It's funny. I wanted to just start running around yelling that I was in love with you to everyone in Silesse. Shout that I was having your baby to whoever could hear me." She continued. "But I wanted you to know first. And you just kept making me happier.

"We got married, started living as a real couple without hiding it, made plans for what to do when we left Silesse..." Lachesis looked down at Delmud in her arms. "And now we have him."  
"We really made a whole other person." Dew said in wonder. "I can still barely believe it."

The two gazed at each other for a moment before gently kissing, careful not to disturb their now sleeping son.

"I love you, Lachesis."  
"I love you, too.  
\--------------------------------------  
It was the hardest decision they'd ever had to make.

Three months after the birth of their son, they found themselves in Dozel marching toward Belhalla. Sigurd ordered Oifey and Shanan to take his son, Seliph, and flee to Isaach. Adean, who had gotten pregnant with her second child shortly after Lachesis had with her first, was going with them and naturally, she was taking Lester with her. Azel wanted to go with her, but they both knew he was their only hope to reason with his brother. Sigurd asked Ayra to go with them, but Lachesis knew she wouldn't. Sylvia flat out refused to go with them, nor was she willing to leave Jamke when their daughter was still waiting for them back in Silesse. Lachesis merely laughed when Sigurd asked her to go to Isaach. She was strong. She knew she was strong. If they ended up having to fight at Belhalla, Lachesis knew her strength would be needed.

She held her son all night before they departed and gently placed him in the wagon with the other infants the following morning. She kissed his forehead and asked that he be patient with her. She promised that she would come for him no matter what. Dew reacted similarly, but he did one thing different: Before saying goodbye to his son, he handed his Wind Sword to Oifey and asked him to give it to Delmud when he was older.

"Y'know, just in case." He grinned at Oifey, but it seemed rather stiff. "I just... I want to make sure he grows up knowing his old man loved him."

After that, he gently bade his son farewell and cried in his wife's arms later that night.

Once they reached Phinora, Lachesis suggested that Dew follow the children to Isaach. It wasn't too late to catch up, she argued, and if both of them died, Delmud wouldn't have any family left. She went to bed early that night, afraid of seeing him leave in spite of her argument that he should. When she woke the next morning, however, he was still lying next to her.

After a brief argument about whether Dew could handle the upcoming fight, the two admitted that they enjoyed the time they spent together and reconciled, hugging a bit tighter than normal.

"I guess I'm just scared." Lachesis admitted. "It's only been about a year since I lost my brother and both of my parents are long dead. You and Delmud are the only family I have left."  
"Yeah, I know the feeling." Dew acknowledged, stroking his wife's hair. "I don't remember my parents and I don't recall any siblings. I didn't know what having a family meant, but now that I do, I don't want to let go."

The two of them fell silent before Dew spoke again.

"We just need to stay positive!" He exclaimed. "We're gonna make it to Belhalla, sort this whole mess out, then head to Isaach and get Delmud! He won't even realize we were gone!"  
"You sure are optimistic." Lachesis sighed, but she seemed to have cheered up slightly. "But I guess that's what I love about you."  
"And hey!" Dew's grin turned mischievous. "Maybe we can even work on giving Delmud a sibling of his own."

Lachesis laughed and said that it was a little late in the month for that, but he was free to "practice" having another child with her later that night.

Dew graciously accepted.

**Author's Note:**

> Lachesis doesn't really strike me as the type to engage in a casual sexual relationship, but she DOES sort of strike me as the type who would try to initiate sex with someone she kind of liked if she were in desperate need of human contact. My personal headcanon is that Delmud is almost always conceived at Orgahill.


End file.
